The Bangalore International Airport is due to open on Friday, 23 May 2008, and already the battlelines are being drawn—and redrawn. On the one hand, the captains of Bangalore industry are out on the streets demanding that the old HAL airport be kept open keeping in mind Bangalore’ future potential. And, on the other hand, a right royal battle has broken out over the name of the new airport.
BIAL had perhaps thought that the issue could be swept under the carpet by calling it Bengaluru International Airport. But the CPM’s Sitaram Yechuri has said it should be named after Tipu Sultan, who was born in Devanahalli where the new airport is located. And now the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike has jumped into the scene, demanding that the airport be named after Kempe Gowda.
Questions: Who should the airport be named after? Tipu or Gowda? Are there other worthies deserving of the honour? Sir M. Visvesvaraya maybe? How much longer before someone demands that it be named after Dr Raj Kumar? Is this just a meaningless debate or a genuine expression of identity? If airports in Bombay and Delhi and Hyderabad, and Chicago and New York and Paris can be named after towering individuals, why not Bangalore’s?
churumuri 
Why should think of historical personalities alone? Why can’t ot be named KAVERI? What prevents from doing it? When Bangaloreans are drinking and living on it why shouln’t they think of it? Love the land and the nature.
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No controversies Please… Name Dr. Raj Kumar International Airport
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Delhi, Hyderabad, New York, Paris ( and Washington DC, Chennai etc as well) are named after politicians by their chamchas. Only Chicago is an exception and in the case of Mumbai- well it was cheap falg waving patriotism rather than anything else. If anything Yechuri should be told to stuff it up his ***.
The best name for the airport is Bengalooru International Airport.
For curiosities sake arent there any towering women other than Indira Gandhi!
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Ever noticed how the traffic department solves the parking problem on the main city roads? Even dates on one side and odd dates on the other. That way they keep the shopkeepers on either side happy.
Why don’t we use the same logic for renaming the Bengaluru International Airport? Every other week name it after a dead ruler or politician or a thespian. That way we could respect all the dead souls and their ardent living fans of this land. :-)
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yechuri, mind the business of bengal………. stay away from these kind of cheap tricks……….. why tippu why not kittur rani chenamma who was first t fight british ?? or even sangolli rayanna ???
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My choices ( not going to make any difference )
Devenahalli Airport
Capital City Airport or
Airport
Why is this logic of the Linguistic Fanatics not used for the names of Political Parties.Why Congress { i ) Why not Kannada Rajya Congress or Kannada Nadu Janata Party or Ragi Mudde Dal Party ??
Why single out commercial enties only ?
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maybe Bengalooru Anthararashtriya Vimana Nildhana?
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I think the new Bangalore international airport should be named after Tipu Sultan. The train between Mysore and Bangalore is one of the most sought after train by rail passengers due its efficiency. I think the new airport will also do well if it is named after the eighteenth century warrior king, who fought the British like nobody else.
It will be simply too petty minded to reject Yechuri’s suggestion simply because Tipu was a Muslim and hated by the BJP leaders.
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Suri,
Why in the first place the “communist fanatics” want to drag tippu’s name in naming? Is tippu the only one from Karnataka who fought against british? As someone said, why not Kitturu Chennamma? This will never end…As long as commie-fanatics are here, linguistic fanatics will also be there……
Also, tell me where is the issue of language here ? Did the KRV mention “Kannada”? It said about naming the airport after an eminent personality of Karnataka…..Surely taking name of Kempegowda is not fanatism!
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1.ಸರ್ ಎಂ ವಿ ಇಂಟರ್ನ್ಯಾಷನಲ್ ಏರ್ಪೋರ್ಟ್
2.ಕೆಂಪೆ ಗೌಡ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಇಂಟರ್ನ್ಯಾಷನಲ್ ಏರ್ಪೋರ್ಟ್
3.ಕಿತ್ತೂರು ರಾಣಿ ಚೆನ್ನಮ್ಮ ಇಂಟರ್ನ್ಯಾಷನಲ್ ಏರ್ಪೋರ್ಟ್
4.ಸಹ್ಯಾದ್ರಿ ಇಂಟರ್ನ್ಯಾಷನಲ್ ಏರ್ಪೋರ್ಟ್
ಆದರೆ ಟಿಪ್ಪು ಖಡಾ-ಖಂಡಿತವಾಗಿ ಬೇಡ
:-)
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We already have a KG bus terminus, and Lalbagh stands to Tipu’s credit anyway and good Sir MV has a tech museum and a tech university named after him.
Maybe we should just call it Bengaluru International Airport and tell everyone else to shove it.
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Better not to name it after anybody, if that cannot be avoided, best to name it after Sir M.V. Sir M.V’s integrity, sincerity and good intentions, in both his public and personal life, and his devotion to duty, were always unquestionable (unlike our present day politicians or medieval sultans). He was truly an architect of modern Karnataka, and a visionary who realized (long before anybody else in our country) the need to create good infrastructure to achieve industrial development and economic progress.
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It would be be Better if the same would be named on Dr Raj Kumar.
He is one such person who was down to earth and was not behind power or Money. If he would have wished he would have easily become the CM of Karnataka, he never liked to be a politician .He worked for all kannadigas and this should be appreciated and The Aiport should be on his Name Only.
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Kempe Gowda International Airport would be the right thing. A visionary if there was one. Sir MV too merits a public project in his name. Yech the unlettered MP needs a crash course in history
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I prefer Vijayanagara International Airport signifying Vijayanagar empire.
For 350 years it was the richest place in the world wealthier than any othe place in contemporary world.
It saved south Indian and by definition Indian civilization. Otherwise Karnataka and South India would have been like Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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Is it really that the KRV wants it named as KempeGowda or the vokkaligas in it. We have a Kempegowda Bus stand, now a demand for the airport to be named after him. What next??? Bangalore railways station to Kempegowda Railway staion.
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ah what the hell!
Why dont we ask Mr Anathmurthy, he doesn’t seem to have a problem in changing bangalore to bengaluru.
Maybe next he will petition to rename karnataka to state of mysore. and then bengaluru to benda kaal-ooru.
Ii will stick with BIAL thank you.
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Sir MV is the best fit. Who the hell is Yetchuri to poke his nose in Karnataka’s affairs?
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Best would be a name from Nehru– Ghandy family. Only people who have done anything for the Nation!!
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Is the KRV pressing for a name change or its vokkaliga head demanding it. We have a KempeGowda Bus Stand now they are demanding the airport to be named after him. What next? Bengalooru railway station changed to Kempegowda railway station!!!
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put the churi into Yetchuri :D…. I prefer Bengalooru Anthararashtriya Vimana Nildana… Everything else is named after someone…usually the Gandhi Family and sometimes, when they need a change some local hero…
Time we stopped naming after personalities and just stuck to BAVN :D
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Best way is to name the airport after Sir .M.Visvesvaraya who has no peer both in Karnataka and in India
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I am not from Karnataka but I feel like giving my opinion here. I think Tipu Sultan International Airport is a good choice, not because of Yechuri’s recommendation but Tipu Sultan is a forgotten hero of Karnataka who fought against colonialism until his last breath while other kings were paying taxes and tributes to the British Queen and securing their assets and privileges.
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Bengaluru International sounds fine..
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http://bangalore.praja.in/poll/tarlesubba/2008/02/01/new-airport-devanahalli-should-be
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Since the new airport would be an international airport, it is apt to name it after Tipu Sultan, who had even in the 17th century established contacts with France and the other nations for trade and other strategic reasons.
It is time people in Karnataka decided to immortalise the slain ruler’s name by calling the new international airport after him. Tipu Sultan stands above the rest of the rulers in Karnataka or the rest of the country when it came to resisting British imperialism.
While most of the kings played along and preferred to remain as titular rulers, courtesy the British, and engrossed themselves in personal entertainment, it was Tipu Sultan, who courageously fought the invaders.
Rejecting Tipu’s name just because of his religion is bigotry. After all Tipu Sultan is better known the world over than the rest of the names in circulation.
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Smart men and women of Karnataka know who Yechorui is and don’t give a damn to what he says. One problem solved…
Doesn’t KRV realize that “Benagluru” is a Kannada word with it’s own merits? Gosh!!!
Churumuri, just for kicks, go ask the the same question to the two super smart guys in karnataka – SL Bhyrappa and his highness URA. And please post their responses here. That’s the real treat for your loyal readers ;)
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No, no reason to quarrel here.
Call it Odd Man Out International Airport or just ‘O-MIA’ for short :-)
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Kempegowda Bengaluru International Airport
OR
Sir MV Bengaluru International Airport
The name and Bengaluru can both remain, cant it?
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sumne kelsa nodro andre agathyakke ildiro vishyada bagge charche madthiralrayya…
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Most NRIs working in the Gulf would love to land in Bangalore in an airport called after Tipu Sultan, a brave ruler of the region.
People, who are criticising Yechuri for suggesting Tipu’s name would do well to recall from history that the late ruler had not only pledged his young and innocent children, but also eventually laid down his life fighting in the battlefield like brave and courageous king at a relatively young age of around 50 to 51 years.
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It should be named after Kempegowda, not because he was a vokkaliga, but for simple reason that he was the founder of this great city.
He was a visionary of his time. The lakes, the gardens, broad roads ( broad at his time though ! ) are all a testimony to this and not to forget all these things back in 15th century !
ಚೆನ್ನೈನಲ್ಲಿ ಅಣ್ಣಾ, ಮುಂಬೈನಲ್ಲಿ ಛತ್ರಪತಿ ಶಿವಾಜಿ, ಕೊಲ್ಕೊತ್ತಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಭಾಷ್ ಚಂದ್ರ ಭೋಸ್, ಹೀಗೆ ಭಾರತದ ಇತರೆಡೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿನ ವಿಮಾನ ನಿಲ್ದಾಣಗಳಿಗೆ ಆಯಾ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ನಾಡು-ನುಡಿ ಕಟ್ಟಲು ಶ್ರಮಿಸಿದ ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಸ್ಥಳೀಯ ಮಹನೀಯರ ಹೆಸರುಗಳನ್ನಿಟ್ಟು ಗೌರವಿಸಿರುವುದನ್ನು ನಾವು ಕಾಣಬಹುದಾಗಿದೆ.
೪೫೦ ವರ್ಷಗಳ ಹಿಂದೆ ನಗರ ಕಟ್ಟಲು ಮನಸ್ಸು-ಧೈರ್ಯ ಮಾಡಿದ ಸಾಹಸಿಗೆ ಆ ಮುಂದಾಲೋಚನೆ ಇರದಿದ್ದ ಪಕ್ಷದಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರೆಂಬ ಈ ಸುಂದರ ನಗರ ಇಂದು ಭೂಪಟದಲ್ಲಿರುತ್ತಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂಬುದು ಸತ್ಯದ ಸಂಗತಿ! ಅಂದು ತಾನು ಕಟ್ಟಿದ ನಗರಕ್ಕೆ ಅಗಲವಾದ ರಸ್ತೆಗಳು, ಕೆರೆ, ಉದ್ಯಾನಗಳು, ಮಾರುಕಟ್ಟೆ , ಛತ್ರ, ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನಗಳು ಇರಬೇಕೆಂದು ಯೋಚಿಸಿ ಕಾರ್ಯರೂಪಕ್ಕಿಳಿಸಿದ್ದ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯ ನೆನಪು ಸದಾ ಹಸಿರಾಗಿರಿಸಲು, ಇಡೀ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಜನತೆ ಕೃತಜ್ಞತಾ ಪೂರ್ವಕವಾಗಿ ನೆನೆಯುತ್ತ ಹಿಂದಿರುಗಿಸಬಹುದಾದ ಬಹುದೊಡ್ಡ ಕಾಣಿಕೆ ಇದು ಎನ್ನುವುದರಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂದೇಹವೇ ಇಲ್ಲ.
ಹಾಗಾಗಿ “ಕೆಂಪೇಗೌಡ ಅಂತರರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ವಿಮಾನ ನಿಲ್ದಾಣ” ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು, ಈ ಹೆಸರು ಬಹಳ ಸೂಕ್ತವಾಗಿದ್ದು, ನಾಡು ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಿದ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಗೆ, ನಮ್ಮ ಇತಿಹಾಸಕ್ಕೆ ಮತ್ತು ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಗೆ ಶೋಭೆ ತರುವಂತದ್ದಾಗಿದೆ.
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Kempegowda it is. He built Bengaluru, and he laid constraints on how Bengaluru should grow, lest there be anarchy and chaos for ages to come. Now we have all together violated his vision for this city, and if we want to get back to non-chaotic state, we can start by commemorating KG’s vision, and in his memory name the newly built international airport after the great visionary of his times.
Kempegowda antar-rashtreeya vimaana nildaaNa, Bengaloorige svaagata!
Welcome to Kempegowda International airport, Bengalooru
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what about “DevanaHalli International Airport” ? If people are so desperate to name it after person … why not some historical figure like … Mayura of Kadamba dynasty or Pulikeshi / Hoysala / Pampa / Sarvajna / Basavanna / Rani Chennamma ???.
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D Gopala …. nam(IT folks) kelsa yenidru ….
“Badge Flash Madadu …Sambla Takaladu”
… neenu sumne
“Comment maadi … dialog hodi” !
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Please spare us the sentimentalities! I am a Bangalorean, born, brought up and I breathe this city, the airport is for us…the citizens of Bangalore. The airport is the life of the city not meant to be a huge tombstone in for people who are dead. I do not mean disrespect to his highness Tipu Sultan or the honorable late kempagowda, but they are dead and their names are on their graves. This airport is for the people, it is our future and it will bring life – I believe Bangalore still lives and hence our airport must be named after the city!
Let the dead stay buried and let their names be buried along with them.
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How about Bangalore Royal Challengers Intl Airport ? ;)
with a bust of the king of good times (not anymore though!) at the entrance….
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“Narayana Murthy Hawai Adda” (pun intended) should sound very nice to the ears of the IT gasbags.
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Why should we want Name change?
“Bengaluru International Airport” is GREAT..
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Vatal Nagraj Int’l Airport
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Deve Gowda and sons airplane stand
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Dr. Kafeel and Sabeel Interrorist err..International Airport.
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Bombatt Bengaluru Vimana Nildhana
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There are few names who are resposible for the growth of Bangalore into a Knowledge Capital/Electronic City/ IT city. These people have a clear bearing on air travel in bangalore and also the new international airport:
1. Nalvadi Krishna Raja Wodeyar – He was the one who gave utmost importance for the development of modern scientific educational institutes in Karnataka. He was the one who sanctioned land for the Tata Institute which morphed later into the reputed Indian Institute of Science. Also bangalore was the first city to be electrified in asia during this estemeed rulers tenure.
2. Sir M. Vishweshwaraya – If the fourth krishna raja wodeyar was a great statesman, he stood on the shoulders of great thinkers and visonary and implementers like Sir MV. The Bhadravathi iron and steel plant and power plant projects were his great contribution. Aprart from that Sir MV was the greatest technocrat India has produced. Who better to represent Bangalore than Sir MV. He is the ideal for every engineer.
3. Jawahar Lal Nehru – It was pandit nehru who identified bangalore as the Industrial city and sanctioned the public sectors to be opened here. Nehru- Gandhi’s name although quite an overkill, his contribution to Bangalore cannot be dismissed.
4. Sir C.V. Raman – Created the Raman Institute. The greatest scientist asia has ever produced in th eleague of Einstien and Oppenheimer. An ideal for a city which prides itself as a tech city.
Regarding the other names suggested, less said the better:
Bassavana – A leader/prophet with a universal message but has in modern times turned out to be a sectarian/ casteist leader by his followers. No contribution to modern Bangalore.
Tippu Sultan – He fought with the other kings and rulers in Karnataka apart from the British. His Jihadi agenda is suspect.e never spoke Kannada even. His forcible conversions in the malabar region does not make him the ideal candidate. Only communist hostorians can find him to be a humanitarian and secularist.His contribution to Bangalore – the fort in city market and lal bagh.
Kempegowda – With due respects to the founder of Bendakalooru. The old city is in no way related to post independence Bangalore. His pillars at the four corners of Bangalore are just non utilitarian historical landmarks.
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Well, Dr. Kafeel and Sabeel Interrorist err..International Airport. sounds better than Dr Rajkumar or Shivrajkumar International Airport.
i do not understand why in the earth does you want to bring these names here???
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What is wrong is Yechuri’s suggestion. After he is suggesting the name of a patriotic and brave son of the soil Tipu Sultan, who waged a courageous war against the British. He is not suggesting the names of either Dawood Ibrahim or Veerappan.
His argument makes sense as Devanahalli, where the new international airport is located was also the birthplace of the late ruler. Tipu Sultan International Airport would sound fine.
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Tipu was anti Kannada.. hence his name should not be considered.
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Tippu also was responsible for murdering a lot of Coorgis and forcing them to do some of the most henious crimes known to man in the name of Islam. He is also responsible for forcing kannadigas to learn persian almost at the cost of Kannada itself. Not to mention, the hundreds (if not thousands) slaughtered in the name of propogation of Islam. Any decent history book on Tippu would end up making anybodys blood boil.
To name an airport on someone with whom a lot of people share an ill feeling is simply not ok.
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Tipu used the Persian language for administrative purposes, supposedly in preference to Kannada.
Tipu acted as a cruel and fanatical anti-Hindu ruler during the course of his invasion of Malabar. The main source used for substantiating such an assessment of Tipu was the well-known Malabar Manual (1887) compiled by William Logan, a British official posted in Malabar.
I am not keen on his Hindu-Muslim equations. What matters to me is he consistently tried to sideline Kannada Language in his administration and the Mysore Gazetteers holds the testimony for the above points.
SirMV or Kempegowda should be considered for the airport
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We should have
1. Sir MV international airport (foundation stone for industrial development)
2. kadaMba interanational airport
3. Kempegowda international airport
4. alooru venkata rao international airport
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Karnataka janara vimana nildana!
If this is not acceptible call it “vatalanagaraja vimana nidana” and have funnnn!
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I don’t understand the reason behind the animosity towards Tipu by a small section of people leaving their posts on this issue.
Most of the arguments against Tipu are clearly a part of the BJP’s communal agenda of denigrating the fair name of a brave ruler, who sacrificed his life for the sake of his people.
History is also replete with instances of his secular outlook. Was it not Tipu Sultan, who helped the Shankaracharya of Sringeri when he was threatened by the Marathas. Had not Tipu donated valuables to temples ?
There is little proof of Tipu killing people in the “name of religion” as one post here suggests. It is also be borne in mind that Tipu was a product of the politics of the time. The complaints of forcible conversion, which I learnt is also unislamic, could have stemmed from a historian prejudiced against the ruler.
The saffron wing or chaddiwalas here appear to be intoxicated with BJP’s fascist agenda and bring a slur on one of Karnataka’s greatest sons. It is the same type of mind-set that led to the killing of Mahatma Gandhi.
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Why should it be named after a person at all?
Why not something like Chandana Bengalooru Antararashtreeya Vimana Nildana or Mallige Bengalooru Antararashtreeya Vimana Nildana or Sahyadri Bengalooru Antararashtreeya Vimana Nildana or even Karnataka Antararashtreeya Vimana Nildana.
I do hope we stop this corpse worshipping trend.
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Dear All,
Without any question the BIAL should be named KEMPEGOWDA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT!!
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Shashank says:
The complaints of forcible conversion, which I learnt is also unislamic, could have stemmed from a historian prejudiced against the ruler.
First of all, who says, forcible conversion is unislamic? :)
And second, how does it matter if a small section of people show animosity? Does that make this point any more frivilous? Please read the following
http://www.bharatvani.org/books/tipu/ch04.htm
http://blogs.ibibo.com/pragjyoti/TIPU-sultan.html
and the all knowing wiki as usual to the rescue
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Hindus#Haidar_Ali_and_Tipu_Sultan
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Simple Address would be ; THE International Airport @ Devenahalli , Bengaluru , Karnataka , India .
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Murthy-Premji International Airpot
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Tipu did not donate jewels to srigeri………. he simply returned the good sthat were looted by him that too when his health was not keeping good….. If facts can be twisted so easily this is coz of idiotic commie historians………..@ shashank I am no supporter of BJP just coz i oppose tippus name i become BJP supporter god save you……….. moreover tippu had change dthe name of mysore and srirangapatanna to some xyzbad …………. he is a bigot….. but he was a ruler who was brave….. we need to accept both sides of the coin if we need to accept it. else walk away
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in all fairness it has to be named after Albert Brunner :)))
BIAL = Brunner Intl Airport Limited
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Why does it have to be names of people and that too mostly men? The only woman in the race seems to be Kittur Chennamma ! Why not Akka Mahadevi or Bengalooru Nagarathnamma? When will this necrophilic worship of Corpses end? My hunch is if there is a Cong Govet next month they will call it after some Nehru- Gandhi. A BJP Govt or JDS Supported Govt ( YESS that is possssible) might call it after Kempe Gowda. The Left will keep asking for Tipu Sultan.
Does it have to be a person? Cant it be Chandana or Mallige or Sahyadri or Beluvola or Karnataka International Airport .Why cant it simply be Bengalooru Vimana Nildana ( There are both domestic and International terminals in the airport).
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thath! if some one quotes facts and speaks truth, he/she will be branded as a cheddi or BJP supporter!
Shashank knows about Tippu only to the extent of what Sanjay Khan showed him on Doordarshan.
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@ Pragmatic: You say Shashank knows only a limited bit about Tipu- but what else do you know and tell us where you gleaned your knowledge from!
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shankar nag vemana nildhana
henge!!!!!
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Just call it Bengaluru International Airport and allow all our historical heroes to rest in peace. Else call it Abdul kalam International Airport for what he has done for science.
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Gaby,
I know that Tipu is not a holy cow as you, Shashank and ‘secularist’ cult believe. There is no showing finger at his patriotism, but his tolerance for other cultures and religions were equally bad. Go through Chi Moo’s and SLB’s research on Tipu. They expose both the faces of Tipu.
But I know you wouldnt. For the fact that people like you have a vyaadhi of terming anything as saffron if it doesnt fall in to your comfort zone.
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How about Gabburu International Airport ?
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The EC should take cognisance of Yechuri’s statement and take action from making these statements since Karnataka is still in election mode.
This may be a new threat to the UPA govt. After threatening to pull down to the Govt for all and sundry reasons, Yechuri may now force the PM to ensure that the airport is named after Tipu else may threaten to pull out and topple the govt :)
Mr Singh, please add it to the Common Minimum Programme. You should also do a survey among your coalition partners to find out it they want a different names. For ex: DMK may want the airport names after Annadurai, the BSP may to name it after Ambedkar. Everyone except, the neglected people of Karnataka should have a say similiar to your other discriminating policies against the beloved and peace loving Kannadigas.
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Bengaluru Airport or Devanahalli International Airport
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Please chuck the names of Jehadis and defeat the commies in their agenda. Chalukya, Rashtrakuta,Vijayanagara,Kadamba, hoysala if not Kempegowda or MV would be just fine
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Tipu was a bigot. His fight against british was only to save his throne and he joined hands with the French to do this. Not only that he invited the ruler from Afghanistan to side with him by attacking India/British. His bigotry was felt by Malabar hindus as well as the Iyengars in melkote, who he slaughtered without mercy on the auspicious day of deepavali. Even, to this the people of melkote do not celebrate deepavali in remembrance of their ancestor slain by this despotic ruler.
Shashank seems to be a psuedo secular guy who wants to white wash the wrong doings of the “Dog of Mysore”
Poli Huduga:
You have to pay me royalty if you use my name for the airport..but on second thoughts it is OK, go ahead and name the airport after me
:)
Regards,
Mayura
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Some suggesstions which I vote for
Bengalooru Anthararashtriya Vimana Nildhana
Bengaluru International Airport
Vijayanagara International Airport
‘Kaveri’- was also good but it will not represent N. Karnataka?!
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Name a day, makes everyone happy !!
Monday, Lingayats: Basavanna (for literature too)
Tuesday, Kurubas: Kanakadasa (for music too)
Wednesday, Vokkaligas: Kempe Gowda (for Bengalooru also))
Thursday, Brahmins: Raghavendra (for north karnataka & divine reaons)
Friday, Islam: Tipu Sultan (for anti-british also)
Saturday, Dalits: Ambedkar (nationa leader)
Sunday, Christians: Sonia Gandhi International Airport (women & living icon)
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Name a day, makes everyone happy !!
Of course, Murthy Angadi coolies can write software which automatically prints correct name for the day !!
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When we are talking about Airports, HAL was started during the first year of Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar as a Ruler. Though it was started by walchand and others, land was given free by the Maharaja. Later when the British purchased the share of Walchand citing World War II and the threat from Japanese, Maharaja refused to sell the States shares. Later after independence when the leaders like Nehru and Patel need to criss cross the country he lent his Dakota ( named Mysore} at their disposal as a VVIP aircraft with the famous sundaram and usha sundaram as pilots So what is wrong in naming after him, if it really needs to be named after a Historical figure. Otherwise name chosen is better suited as Bangalore has a better brand identity.
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BIAL is fine! Else the argument just goes on…
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Pragmatic you lucky devil- you get to read all the irrefutable sources of Truth like Chi Moo ( honestly who is that!) and SLB while all I have is history books and deconstruction based on my own sensibilities and the larger location of all these historical names in patriarchy and supression:)
Honestly all the guys suggested till now ( Yess Pragmatic , Mayura etc this includes Tipu Sultan) with the exception of Basavanna were narrow minded tyrants who cared only for their patriarchial conservatism and little else. Even MV who was such a progressive in matters of the state, was a technocrat who thot of little else outside of his narrow path with little space for flexibility.
The only worthy name for the airport would be ‘ Bengalooru Vimana Nildana’ ( For both the domestic and international terminals together).
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74 jana baDkoMDmele naa yaak sumnirli..
my vote for Annavru – the one and only devarantha bangarada manushya… perhaps *the* most popular individual ever to live and breathe in Karnataka.
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Sir M.Visvesvaraiah or Kempe Gowda any one of them will be ok.
But a NO to Tipu because of his fanaticism and his barbaric crimes against Hindus of Kodagu and Malabar.
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sisya,
pretty good sense of humor there ;)
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Tippu International Airport
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Guys..
This is not about naming the new International Airport in Bangalore. Name it according to Kannadigas’ wish. No Politician from center can dictate the name.
But,
I could see lot of people talking about the Tipu’s massacre of Malabar Hindus. As a Hindu from that region I feel like giving my view here.
While Tipu invaded Malabar the Zamorins (Hindu Royal clan who ruled Malabar ) & Namboodiris (Brahmins) fled to Travancore, because there were rumors of the tyranny of Tipu’s Army ( like the Afghan and Mongol invaders of India ). But the reality was different. I agree there were small incidents as in all invasions but as a whole it did no harm to the native Hindus.
Before Tipu’s Invasion the Shoodra women of Kerala were not permitted to cover their upper part of the body ( read topless) and Tipu banned this practice and gave them right to dress as they please. His administration seized land from feudal Lords and distributed among poor farmers and even gave land to Temples. These you may not find in history books authored by colonial writers, but still lots of non biased research and books are available on this subject. And there were no forced conversions to Islam except those who converted for the financial benefits by sticking to the new Rulers.
Ironically the people who did not fight Tipu and British to save their country and Fled overnight as cowards author the history now.
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this makes sense !!
http://thatskannada.oneindia.in/response/2008/0520-drying-opportunities-for-kannadigas-in-bial.html
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ದೇವನಹಳ್ಳಿ ವಿಮಾನನಿಲ್ದಾಣಕ್ಕೆ ಕೆಂಪೇಗೌಡರ ಹೆಸರೇ ಏಕೆ ಸೂಕ್ತ? ದೇವನಹಳ್ಳಿ ವಿಮಾನ ನಿಲ್ದಾಣಕ್ಕೆ ವಿಶ್ವೇಶ್ವರಯ್ಯ, ರಾಜ್ಕುಮಾರ್ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ ಗಣ್ಯರುಗಳಿಗಿಂತ ಐತಿಹಾಸಿಕ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಯಿಂದ ಕೆಂಪೇಗೌಡರ ಹೆಸರೇ ಸೂಕ್ತವಾದದ್ದು. ಯಲಹಂಕ ವಂಶದ ಮೊದಲನೇ ದೊರೆ ದೇವರಸೇಗೌಡರ ಹೆಸರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಿದ ಊರು ದೇವನಹಳ್ಳಿ. ೫೦೦ ವರ್ಷಗಳ ಕಾಲ ಯಲಹಂಕ ವಂಶದವರು ಈ ರಾಜ್ಯವನ್ನು ಆಳಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಅವರ ಹೃದಯ ವೈಶಾಲ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ವ್ಯಾಪ್ತಿಯ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಯಿಂದ ಯಲಹಂಕ ಮಹಾನಾಡು ರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರು ಆಳಿದ ಮೈಸೂರು ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯಕ್ಕಿಂತ ವಿಸ್ತಾರವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಯಲಹಂಕ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ವಿಸ್ತಾರವು ದಕ್ಷಿಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾವೇರಿ ನದಿ ತೀರದಿಂದ ಉತ್ತರದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಿಂದೂಪುರದವರೆಗೂ ಹಾಗೂ ಪೂರ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೃಷ್ಣಗಿರಿಯಿಂದ ಹಿಡಿದು ಪಶ್ಚಿಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾಸನದ ನುಗ್ಗೇಹಳ್ಳಿಯವರೆಗೂ ಹಬ್ಬಿತ್ತು. ಕೆಂಪೇಗೌಡರು ಅಂದು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಗೆ ಹಾಕಿರುವ ಅಸ್ತಿಭಾರವೇ ಇಂದು ದೇವನಹಳ್ಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅಂತಾರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ವಿಮಾನನಿಲ್ದಾಣವಾಗಲು ಕಾರಣೀಭೂತವಾಗಿದೆ. ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ಇತಿಹಾಸ ಉಳಿದಿರುವುದೇ ಆಯಾಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ, ಆಯಾ ಜನರು ರೂಪಿಸಿದ ಶಾಸನಗಳಿಂದ. ಆಗಿನ ಕಾಲದ ರಾಜ ಮಹಾರಾಜರು ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಿದ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯಗಳ ಸ್ಮರಣೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ ಪರಂಪರೆಗಳಿಂದ ಇತಿಹಾಸ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ ಯಲಹಂಕ ನಾಡನ್ನಾಳಿದ ರಾಜಮಹಾರಾಜರುಗಳ ನೆನಪು ಮುಂದಿನ ಜನಾಂಗಕ್ಕೆ ದಾರಿದೀಪ. ದೇವನಹಳ್ಳಿಯೂ ಸಹಾ ಯಲಹಂಕ ವಂಶದವರ ಆಡಳಿತ ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಆಡಳಿತ ಕೇಂದ್ರವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಸೈನಿಕರ ತರಭೇತಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಮದ್ದುಗುಂಡು ತಯಾರಿಕಾ ಘಟಕವನ್ನು ಯಲಹಂಕ ವಂಶದವರ ಆಳ್ವಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ದೇವನಹಳ್ಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಥಾಪಿಸಿದ್ದರು. ಯಲಹಂಕ ವಂಶಸ್ಥರು ಕಟ್ಟಿದ ದೇವನಹಳ್ಳಿಯ ಕಲ್ಲಿನಕೋಟೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಅದರ ಮೇಲಿರುವ ಸುಂದರ ಕಲಾಕೃತಿಯ ಕೆತ್ತನೆಗಳು ನಮ್ಮ ಕಣ್ಣ ಮುಂದೆ ಮೂಕಸಾಕ್ಷಿಯಾಗಿರುವುದನ್ನು ಇತಿಹಾಸ ಸಾರಿ ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿದೆ.
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Sir M.V. was a statesman and visionary. There is hardly anything in Karnataka named after him. It is quite appropriate that the airport is named after him. Besides, it is to easier to pronounce it. Sir M.V. Airport. Short and sweet. And Yechuri …. Bah.
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Why not Abdul Kalam international airport?
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Cannot believe KRV wants to shame Kempe Gowda.
My city of birth is in such shambles that it would be indeed be an insult to that great man to name anything after him.
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Sir MV’s ancestors are from AP (from Giddaluru in Prakasam District) and some puritans may have objections to name it after him.. ??
Moral: It is very easy to create controversies .. :-(
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Pl give us some options and let us go for voting!
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Long Long ago, Far far away International Airport (LLA, FFA IA)
or
Jaggesh International Airport.
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Why not Anil Kumble airport for the great service he has done to the nation for taking all the 10 wickets in an innings.
The Anil Kumble circle in M.G. Road can be renamed either as Robin Uttappa circle or Rahul Dravid circle.
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I also propose some names which most people here have left out:
Vanake Obavva Airport -She hacked to death Hyder Ali’s soldiers in C’durga with her Vanake. Will remind wannabe suicide bombers (kafeels and sabeels) and hijakers that we mean business. Keep off our airport.
Akka Mahadevi – The nude saint. Alongside we can promote some naturist resorts in Karwar and Gokarna.
Santa Sishunala Sharifa Airport – Marxist and Mullahs might be okay or would they be considering the hindu leanings of Sharifa.
Parvathamma Rakjumar Airport – Behind every successful man (Annavaru) there is a (huge) influence of a woman.
Pampa airport (our adikavi) – Pampa also is kind of rhyming and has a great recall value.
Kuvempu Airport – Our Rastrakavi who talked of Vishwa Manawa. to remind International Travellers the possibility of being Vishwa Manawa in this flat world.
Murty Airport – Just name it as murthy and let people guess whether it is U.R.A, NRN, narsimha murthy, CLN murthy or any other murthy. Just make is ambigious.
Malgudi Airport – This is fictitious and non controversial. This is the kannada shangrila.
and so on
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Kempegowda international airport seems good.
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“BengaLooru Rekke MoTaar Service NildaNa”
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Gaby,
>> Yess Pragmatic , Mayura etc this includes Tipu Sultan) with the exception of Basavanna were narrow minded tyrants who cared only for their patriarchial conservatism and little else.>>
Are you calling me a narrow minded tyrant
:(
Mayura
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Gaby,
Just to let you know that Sir MV was a great humanitarian, I quote a incident I had read long back about him. When Sir MV was serving the Mysore royalty, he was on a tour to some rural areas near Sriranga Patna. A old woman in the village who he happened to meet him petitioned him that she needed a milling stone (beeso kallu). Sir MV on his next trip to that village brought with him a beeso kallu he purchased from his own money and gave it to this old woman. That is the kind of a person Sir MV was.
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What’s in a Name, just for the name of the Airport, raising voices, holding protests and ralleys does’nt make any sense. How much does the common man care for the name, all he is worried now is the infrastuture, connectivity, facilities, security to passengers at the new Airport. They need to push government for the fast execution connectivity to the airport.
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I wish the airport is named after Tipu Sultan. There are so many nasty references to the great ruler by cheddiwalas here that even the right wing historians will puke with disgust over their observations.
But, I am glad there are also some level headed people, who are setting the record straight. The late ruler, who died on the battlefield, does not deserve such mud-slinging.
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How about calling it Karnataka airport and naming each of the terminals and gates after worthy sons of the state. That way we can do justice to many people instead of just one.
So instead of saying Terminal 1, Gate A, Gate B we can have JCW terminal, KG gate, MV gate or Tippu gate. Our boarding passes will also have these printed on it so the names will be well known beyond the state.
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Anyway how the **** does it matter what the airport is named. It will eventually be manned by our very own corrupt, inefficient staff whose main aim will be to fleece the travellers by any means possible.
All the bl**dy politicians and parties suggesting names, cant they first make a list of things to improve the airport experience for the travellers and tax-paying public who pay for the functioning of the airport?
And make it on par with say the Changi airport in terms of the environment in addition to the infrastructure?
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Faldo youve made the most sensible suggestion till now!
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Gaby,
You said:
‘I do hope we stop this corpse worshipping trend.’
Damn right.
And the trend of whipping corpses of other castes/religions.
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AG, I always thot corpses didnt really have any caste or religion- all forms of necrophilia is disgusting .
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Mayura dont get me wrong- I do think MV was a great man bringing alive every good thing possible in a patriarchal system- Integrity, honesty in public life, frugal, holding the law above evrything, scholarly- the kind, responsible and caring father- tho’ sometimes you get the ffeling that he was the kind of person who if asked to chose would opt for the Master rather than family ( Note the use of the colonial knighthood title )- But even this to me a narrow framework- somehow you get the feeling that MV was above caring for ordinary things- it was more his responsibility rather than a labor of love- no doubt every person in public life can and should learn from his lifestyle.
You get the feeling that all the characters mentioned till now except Basavanna yearned in diffrent measures for Liberty and Equality and forgot that third Value- Fraternity or the Universal Brothjerhood of all men and women. For me that puts Tipu – Kempe Gowda- MV – Kuvempu/ DVG- in the same bracket. Honestly people like Rajkumar and Rajiv Gandhi dont even come into this list.
Sorry this got a bit serious but you decide if you are a narrow minded tyrant:)
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Gaby,
Yeah is all in the mind of the whipper/worshipper. I think corpses dont care.
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hattu janara antar rashtriya vimana nildana
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Name the airport which can be remembered and recognized across the world………..people from many corners of the world dont know who is tippu sultan or visveswarayya or rani chennamma………..Bangalore is recognized as one of the best indian city all overr the world………………………….be practical guys…………Bengaluru International Airport is the Best name.
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Screw them all. I vote for “Bengaluru Walchand International Airport”. That man is the reason why Bengaluru is the capital of Indian aviation. He had the money and the balls to invest in JCW IV’s idea. And pardon me if I am the only one who thinks aviation related personalities should be honoured in relation to an airport.
At the end of the day, whatever you name it, it will be “hosa airportu” on people’s tongues.
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Gaby,
>>Honestly people like Rajiv Gandhi dont even come into this list.
>>
I completely agree with you on this. However, Rajkumar even though was a great actor and human being, has done precious little for the Kannada film industry by way of improving the infrastrucutre etc. Yes, his love for the language and kannada culture was unparalleled, but that does not make him qualify for the airport being named after him.
Disclaimer: I am a ardent fan of Annavaru and do not intend to hurt the feelings of some of his die hard fans who would quickly go on rampage when Annavaru’s name is used in vain
:)
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Gaby,
Agreed MV forgot that third Value- “Fraternity or the Universal Brotherhood of all men and women”. I feel this is the problem with the Indian mindset. We can’t feed poor with “Fraternity or the Universal Brotherhood”. We need people like MV/NRN/TATA to generate revenue. Not all problems can be solved by Universal Brotherhood or just by industrialization. Also please don’t think I’m making Basavanna any smaller compared to MV. We need people like MV and Basavanna in our society. These are like apples and oranges you can’t say one is better than other.
Actually we need both of them, one to bring equality in the society and the other to generate revenue. Individually, both becomes void…right?
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For a change, why not name it after –
Chakotha IA – after the famous Devanahalli Chakotha fruit
Arkavathi IA – after the tributary of Kaveri which has its origins at the nearby Nandi hills
Mallige or Sampige or Parijatha or Gulmohar, Ashoka, Honge – names of flowers/trees
How about Gubachchi International Airport – After the humble, little sparrow, which sadly is no more found in todays Bengaluru city
or just name it after nature – Prakrithi/Nisarga International Airport
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People from outside the country struggle to remeber the long names like chatrapati shivaji international airport, rajiv gandhi international airport etc ….if we name nada prabhu kempegowda international airport..to BIAL…people ouside the country will think People of India have gone mad……People ouside the country will always remember famous cities in India and in my opinion ….Bengaluru International Airport is the Best name….I always suggest to keep our countrys name bright every where.
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@ Kannadiga.
Hey, we have built the airport. Don’t act like NRN’s loser alter-ego, pleasing foreigners candy arses. Why should we think of what people outside country make of the name to feel better. ?
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Whatever you guys name it I will call it DYBTVTIIOA.
That is
Desi!-You-Better-Take-Volvo.This-Is-International-Only-Airport!
Long enough?
OK :)
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I am not from Karnataka but I feel like giving my opinion here. I think Tipu Sultan International Airport is a good choice, not because of Yechuri’s recommendation but Tipu Sultan is a forgotten hero of Karnataka who fought against colonialism until his last breath while other kings were paying taxes and tributes to the British Queen and securing their assets and privileges.
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I strongly support to name the Airport after our first freedom fighter TIPPU SULTAN
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Hi all,
Does it make any difference with KempeGowda or TippuSultan? It will always will be called International Airport. But what i don’t understand is How come KempeGowdru can be called NADAPRABHU? Have he ruled whole of karnataka ever or anyone has ruled ever the whole karnataka?
How come he can become NADAPRABHU?:)
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“KEMPEGOWDA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT” this becomes TRUE in 2009, Believe ME
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Arunadri/bellard,
Thanks for an excellent article.
Others (non supporters of the name “KEMPEGOWDA”),
The name MUST be “KEMPEGOWDA” for reasons written by Arunadri and to make the land-losers happy. The entire land which was acquired for the airport is from the native Bangalore farmers. The Bangalore was built by “KEMPEGOWDA”, if so, at least the land-losers will keep looking at the flights when they fly and chant “KEMPEGOWDA” everyday without cursing the travelers like you (I am not sure how many of you really a frequent travelers).
It looks like; the new immigrants to Bangalore poke their nose in local topics and make them as issues. Heartless people make this as an issue instead of supporting to keep the name for airport as KEMPEGOWDA. Probably they have some hidden agendas. It is like dancing on the graveyard (farmers land).
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It should be named as Rastrakuta International Airport. Named after the greatest Kannada kingdom of all times. This is truly inclusive for Kannadigas.
Do not require the airport named after any one caste figure such as GOWDA !!!
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Ladis n gents ( our slang ),
Whats in a name !
These stupid people ( fanatics ) only want their local or historical heroes to be the name of A WORLD CLASS AIRPORT ?
Its so sad that they waste half their lives fighting upon something so baseless.I would respect them if they were to fight for their dad’s or mom’s name to be the title of the airport !
How long can this mentality dwell in a society that is trying its best to become a world class product ?
Its all narrow mindedness and baseless belief that is plagueing the growth of such a Magnificent City.
Bengaluru is the present and the future , lets look at a united vision of growth and prosperity rather than be such a fanatic of idiotic politician’s words . Get rid of mediocrity !
VOTE : Bengaluru International Airport
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Either Bengaluru or Kempegowda,both r O.K.People should not oppose Kempegowda only because he was a vokkaliga.He didn,t built Bengaluru only for Gowda’s.He is responsible for this great city.Some people are bothered about foreigners,This airport is in our state,it is for our people,not to please foreigners.We should name our child as our wish ,not for others sake.
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Kempe Gowda or Sir MV.
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TH Anna you want SIR MV not just MV- wow the Empire still exists even if outside of Britain!
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@Gaby…
SIR is just a recognition and in no way shows the ‘chamcha’giri towards them…
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Sorry but the Knighthood is not a recognition it is a ‘ Royal Honour’ and known to be part of the old boys club thing and therefore nothing less than CHAMCHAGIRI. Why does just MV sound less of a recognition to some Indian ears?
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Sir Tipu Sultan International Airport please
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It is very approriate to name the Air Port as TIPPU SULTAN AIRPORT, for the best reason:
“Tipu Sultan of Mysore was a fanatic Muslim tyrant who was responsible for the destruction of hundreds of Hindu temples, large-scale forcible conversion of the Hindus, and perpetration of unimaginable brutalities on the Hindu population in Kerala. All the available records such as Malabar Manual of William Logan, Historical Sketches of Col. Wilks, Voyage to East Indies of Fra Bartolomaeo, histories of Kerala written by K.P. Padmanabha Menon and Sardar K.M. Panicker, historical research papers of Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai, official reports of the English Company, and the records of Chirackal, Zamorin and Palghat royal families besides those from Trichur, Guruvayoor, Thirunavaya and Perumanam temples, clearly and conclusively depict Tipu Sultan as the most intolerant cruel, and fanatic Muslim ruler in the South. His main object, like his father Hyder Ali Khan’s, was to subjugate the whole of Kerala and convert its Hindu population to Islamic faith by force. Tipu Sultan’s notorious jihâd – Islamic war-slogan – was SWORD (death) or CAP (Islamic honour, i.e. forcible conversion), a cruel option for a hapless Hindu population. For this, his most dependable and obedient accomplices were his equally cruel and treacherous co-religionists – the Mappilas (local Muslim converts) of North Malabar.
NATIONAL INSULT
The ruins of hundreds of Hindu temples destroyed, and heavy concentration of Mappilas, all along the invasion routes of Tipu’s army, are standing and conclusive proofs of the brutalities and atrocities committed by the fanatic Tipu Sultan in Kerala. He was, all through, waging a cruel Islamic war against the Hindu population of Kerala, with a large Muslim army under Muslim field commanders ably assisted by the French, and with powerful field-guns and European troops. The period of Tipu Sultan and his father Hyder Ali Khan from 1766 to 1792 is the darkest period in Kerala history for all types of Islamic atrocities including forcible conversions. In spite of all these, historical documents and records are being deliberately suppressed, distorted and falsified in order to project this fanatic Tipu Sultan of Mysore as a liberal and magnanimous Muslim king. Worse still, this Muslim tyrant from Mysore is being glorified and projected as a national hero like Chhatrapati Shivaji, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Rana Pratap Singh, and Pazhassi Raja of Kerala. To perpetuate the memory of this tyrant Tipu Sultan, the Central Government has released a postal stamp. Doordarshan has sanctioned a video serial to glorify the deeds and life of Tipu Sultan. And a special rehabilitation programme is being worked out for the benefit of the descendants of Tipu Sultan in Calcutta. It is an insult to our national pride and also to the Hindus of Kerala. At this rate, who knows that tomorrow our secular Government and the motivated Muslim and Marxist historians of Jawaharlal Nehru, Aligarh and Islamia universities will not project as national heroes villains like Mahmud Ghaznavi who destroyed the Somnath Temple, Babar who destroyed the Sri Rama Temple at Ayodhya, and Aurangzeb who destroyed the Vishwanath Temple at Kashi and the Sri Krishna Temple at Mathura? What a shame! What a degradation!
SOURCE REFERENCE
Now, let us turn to the facts of history, compiled and presented in Malabar Manual of William Logan published over a hundred years ago. William Logan was Collector of Malabar and worked in various capacities for over twenty years in Kerala, before 1886. The highly acclaimed Malabar Manual was the result of his strenuous research and study of various official records, oral history, and legends of Kerala. Because the facts presented here are mainly from the Malabar Manual as edited by Dr. C.K. Kareem,1 himself a Muslim, and published by the Charitram Publications of Trivandrum with the assistance of Kerala and Cochin universities, we are sure, they will be more acceptable as authentic and unbiased than any other version of Kerala history.
To give the background of Tipu Sultan’s wars and Islamic atrocities in Kerala, it would be better to start from Hyder Ali Khan, Tipu’s father.
HYDER ALI KHAN
After the decline and disintegration of the Vijayanagaram Empire, Raja Wodeyar enlarged his small principality into a mighty kingdom and established the Wodeyar Dynasty with Srirangapatanam as its capital (1578-1761). Lord Shree Ranganatha Swamy was the family deity of the Wodeyar family and, therefore, a magnificent temple dedicated to this God was constructed there. Since then, the capital city came to be known by the name of the presiding deity of the place. The last king of the Wodeyar Dynasty was Krishna Raya who was overthrown by Hyder Ali Khan, his army chief stationed in Dindigal, with the help of the wily Purnaiyya. Hyder Ali imprisoned all the royal family members in Srirangapatanam. Later on, he declared himself the Sultan of Mysore with Srirangapatanam as capital in 1761 (p. 456 of Malabar Manual). It may be noted here that Hyder Ali Khan’s father was a Punjabi Muslim settled in Mysore and serving as a soldier with the rank of ‘naik’ in the army.
INVASION OF KERALA BY HYDER ALI
During that period, there were a number of small kingdoms in Malabar. Among them, the important ones were those of Kottayam (Pazhassi) Raja, Kolathiri (Chirackal) Raja, Kadathanad Raja in North Malabar, and Zamorin in South Malabar. There was also a Muslim ruler under Kolathiri Raja. He controlled the sea trade through Cannanore port. The seniormost male member of the Arackal Muslim family was known as Ali Raja while the seniormost female member was referred to as Arackal Bibi. The family originated from the Hindu royal family of Chirackal or Kolathiri. Though converted to Islam years back, the Arackal family followed their original matriarchal system as prevalent in Kerala. And though Ali Raja was a subordinate chieftain under Kolathiri Raja, he used to disobey the authority of Kolathiri quite often.
When Hyder Ali Khan overran Mangalore and reached the northern borders of Malabar, Ali Raja invited and persuaded him to subjugate the Hindu Rajas of North Malabar and offered his assistance. But it was only after regrouping and equipping his army with more powerful field-guns that Hyder Ali Khan launched the long-expected Malabar invasion in 1766. After reaching Cannanore, he appointed Ali Raja as his Naval Chief (High Admiral) and the Raja’s brother Sheik Ali as Chief of Port Authority (Intendant of Marine). After that, Ali Raja and his brother served Hyder Ali Khan on land and sea and aided all his military operations with a body of over 8,000 Mappilas (Muslim converts – name derived from Macca Pillai, Ma-Pillai). None of the Hindu Rajas in Malabar at that time was under the tutelage of the British or any other European power. The English Company, with its headquarters in Madras and Bombay, had only some pockets of influence in Mangalore and Tellicherry. The Kerala coast was under the influence of the Dutch and the French who were established in Cochin and Mahe respectively. Thus Hyder Ali’s invasion of Kerala was not to fight and defeat the British, but to subjugate the independent Hindu kingdoms and for conversions to Islam. Neither Hyder Ali Khan nor Tipu Sultan is known to have attacked any of the British establishments in Kerala at any time.
ATROCITIES UNDER HYDER ALI
During his southward march of conquest and plunder, Hyder Ali allowed Ali Raja and his barbarous Mappilas to act as army scouts and also to commit all sorts of atrocities on the Hindu population of Malabar. The Kolathiri Raja could not offer much resistance against the huge army of Hyder Ali which was equipped with heavy field guns. On the other hand, Ali Raja who had been made a tributary chieftain in Cannanore, seized and set fire to the palace of the old Kolathiri Raja. The latter escaped with his followers and sought protection of the British in Tellicherry. Hyder Ali now entered Kottayam (Pazhassi) Raja’s territory where he encountered resistance. There were casualties on both sides. But the Kottayam Mappilas betrayed and deserted their Hindu king and assisted Hyder Ali Khan (p. 460).
The first serious resistance encountered by the invading army of Hyder Ali Khan was in Kadathanad. The devastation caused by him during his wars in Kerala was typical of fanatic Muslim invaders anywhere in India. A broad picture of his Islamic atrocities as described by a Muslim officer of Mysore army in his diary and as edited by Prince Ghulam Muhammad, the eleventh and only surviving son of Tipu Sultan, is given below. (Prince Ghulam Muhammad was later on exiled to Calcutta by the British after the death of Tipu Sultan in 1799.)
‘Nothing was to be seen on the roads for a distance of four leagues, nothing was found but only scattered limbs and mutilated bodies of Hindus. The country of Nairs [Hindus] was thrown into a general consternation which was much increased by the cruelty of the Mappilas who followed the invading cavalry of Hyder Ali Khan and massacred all those who escaped without sparing even women and children; so that the army advancing under the conduct of this enraged multitude [Mappilas] instead of meeting with continued resistance, found villages, fortresses, temples and every habitable place forsaken and deserted (p. 461).
“Wherever he (Hyder Ali Khan) turned, he found no opponent; and every inhabitable place was forsaken and the poor inhabitants who fled to the woods and mountains in the inclement season experienced anguish to behold their houses in flames, fruit-trees cut down, cattles destroyed and temples burnt. By means of Brahmin messengers despatched to woods and mountains, Hyder Ali Khan promised pardon and mercy to the Hindus who had fled. However, as soon as the unfortunate Hindus returned on his promise of mercy and pardon, Hyder Ali Khan, like all the other Muslim tyrants of North India, saw to it that they were all hanged to death, their wives and children reduced to slavery (p. 468).
“Before quitting the country (Kerala) Hyder Ali Khan by a solemn edict declared the Nairs deprived of all (social and political) privileges and (ordered) not to carry arms. This ordinance was found to make the submission of the proud Nairs absolutely impossible because they would have thought death preferable to such humiliations and degradation. Therefore, Hyder Ali Khan by another ordinance, consented to restore all social and political privileges including carrying of arms, to the Nairs who embraced the Mohammadan religion. Many nobles had to embrace Islam; but a significantly large section (Nairs, Chieftains and Brahmins) chose rather to take refuge in the kingdom of Travancore in the South than to submit to the last ordinance” (p. 469).
It may be noted here that when Hyder Ali Khan reached Calicut with his huge army, destroying everything on the way and forcibly converting to Islam every Hindu warrior defeated or captured, the ruling Zamorin, after sending away all his family members to Travancore State, committed self-immolation by setting fire to his palace and ammunition depot nearby, in order to escape personal humiliation and possible forcible conversion to Islam.
TIPU SULTAN
Hyder Ali Khan had thus attempted and to some extent succeeded in converting a sizeable section of Hindus, especially Nairs and Thiyyas, to Islam by force and treachery. However, as soon as he left Malabar, all Hindu Rajas, Chieftains and Nairs revolted and asserted their independence. He died in December, 1782, and his son, Tipu Sultan, succeeded him in Srirangapatanam. Tipu was also a fanatic Muslim king, but more cruel and inhuman than his father in his Islamic wars and conversions in Kerala.
By the time Tipu became the Sultan of Mysore towards the end of 1782, all the Rajas and Chieftains of North Malabar had revolted and declared their independence. The British had also become more powerful. The immediate object of Tipu’s early military operation was to subjugate and retake the principalities which had revolted against the Mysore suzerainty immediately after the departure of Hyder Ali Khan from Malabar. So far, the Brahmins who were by nature quiet and honest, were usually and customarily sent as messengers to high places. But because of Tipu’s orders to “seize, circumcise and convert the Brahmins to Islam”, they started refusing to carry his messages to Malabar. They refused to oblige even the British who had extended and promised full protection to them. It had been confirmed from Calicut that 200 Brahmins had been “seized, confined, made Muslims and forced to eat beef and do other things contrary to their customs” (p. 507).
ISLAMIC BRUTALITIES
According to the official report of Col. Fullarton of the British forces stationed in Mangalore, worst type of brutalities on Brahmins were committed by Tipu Sultan in 1783 during his siege of Palghat Fort which was being defended by the Zamorin and his Hindu soldiers. “Tipu’s soldiers daily exposed the heads of many innocent Brahmins within sight from the fort for Zamorin and his Hindu followers to see. It is asserted that the Zamorin rather than witness such enormities and to avoid further killing of innocent Brahmins, chose to abandon the Palghat Fort” (p. 500).
As he proceeded with his Islamic wars against the Hindu population in Kerala, Tipu Sultan committed many more brutalities. The Rajas were unable to resist. But they did not like to be mute witnesses to brutalities perpetrated by the Muslim army of Tipu. As a consequence, the Kadathanad and Kottayam Rajas sent requests to the English Company at Tellicherry for protection, stating that “they could no longer trust Tipu Sultan and beseeching the Company to take the Brahmins, the poor and the whole kingdom under their protections” (p. 507).
But the British did not render any help to the Hindu Rajas. Tipu’s brutalities were against all sections – Brahmins, Nairs and Thiyyas of Hindu community, not excluding even women and children. Even Christians were not spared.
“It was not only against the Brahmins who were thus put in a state of terror of forcible circumcision and conversion; but against all sections of Hindus. In August, 1788, a Raja of the Kshatriya family of Parappanad and also Trichera Thiruppad, a chieftain of Nilamboor, and many other Hindu nobles who had been carried away earlier to Coimbatore by Tipu Sultan, were forcibly circumcised and forced to cat beef. Nairs in desperation, under the circumstances, rose up against their Muslim oppressors under Tipu’s command in South Malabar and the Hindus of Coorg in the North also joined them (p. 507).
“The revolt in the South Malabar was led by Ravi Varma of the Zamorin family. Though Tipu conferred on him a jaghire (vast are of tax-free land) mainly to appease him, the Zamorin prince, after promptly taking charge of the jaghire, continued his revolt against the Mysore power, more vigorously and with wider support. He soon moved to Calicut, his traditional area of influence and authority, for better co-ordination. Tipu sent a large Mysore army under the command of M. Lally and Mir Asrali Khan to chase and drive out the Zamorin prince from Calicut. However, during the above operations, Ravi Varma assisted not less than 30,000 Brahmins to flee the country and take refuge in Travancore” (p. 508).
It may be pointed out here that almost all female members and many male members of different royal families such as Chirackal, Parappanad, and Calicut, and chieftains’ families like Punnathoor, Nilamboor, Kavalapara, Azhvancherry Thamprakkal etc., fled to Travancore to escape the brutalities of Tipu’s army and temporarily settled down in different parts of Travancore. Even after the fall of Tipu Sultan’s regime in Srirangapatanam, many of these families, wholly or partly, preferred to stay back in Travancore because of the Mappilas’ atrocities in the past.
The continued resistance and revolt by the Nairs and other chieftains enraged Tipu Sultan who gave strict orders to his army under M. Lally and Mir Asrali Khan to “surround and extricate the whole race of Nairs from Kottayam to Palghat” (p. 508). After entrusting Calicut to a powerful army contingent, he instructed it “to surround the woods and seize the heads of all Nair factions”. He then proceeded to North Malabar to suppress the spreading revolt under Kadathanad and Pazhassi Rajas. Prior to this, Tipu had sent a formal request to the English Company at Tellicherry asking them “not to give protection and shelter to Nairs fleeing from South Malabar” (p. 509). A similar letter had been sent to the English Company in Tellicherry by Hyder Ali Khan in 1764 before he launched his Malabar invasion (Kerala History by A.S. Sreedhara Menon, p. 372). These letters clearly show that neither Hyder Ali nor Tipu was at war with the British.
It was at Kuttipuram, the headquarters of the Kadathanad Rajas, that the huge army of Tipu Sultan with a large number of field-guns surrounded an old fort defended by a small contingent of Nairs. After several days of resistance, and finding it difficult to defend the fort any longer, the Nairs submitted to the usual terms of surrender – “a voluntary profession of the Mohammadan faith or a forced conversion with deportation from the native land… In short, either way they had to embrace Mohammadan faith!… The unhappy Nair captives gave a forced consent and on the next day, the Islamic initiation rite of circumcision was performed on all male members, closing the ceremony after every individual of both sexes was forced to eat beef”(p. 510).
If this was not an Islamic war, what else was it? Do forcible circumcision and feeding of beef form any part of normal wars of territorial aggression? The War that Tipu Sultan waged in Kerala, was a cruel Islamic war against the Hindu population, mainly for conversion of Hindus by force. Yet there are degenerate Hindus in Kerala who admire Tipu Sultan as a hero!
The doings of Tipu Sultan were held out as an example which other detachments of the Mysore army followed. An original order sent to various army contingents by Tipu was found among the records from Palghat Fort, after its capture by the English Company in 1790. It has been reproduced as a footnote on page 510 of the Malabar Manual: “It directed (all military detachments) that every being in the district should be honoured with Islam, that they should be traced to their hiding places, and that all means, truth or falsehood, fraud or force, should be employed to effect their universal conversion to Islam.”
While escaping from Tipu’s army, one of the princes of the Chirackal Royal family in North Malabar was captured and killed in an encounter after a chase of few days. As per the accounts of Tipu’s own diary and as confirmed by the English Company records, the body of the unfortunate prince was treated with great indignities by Tipu Sultan. “He had the dead body of the prince dragged by elephants through his camp and it was subsequently hung up on a tree along with seventeen of his followers who had been captured alive” (p. 512). Another chieftain, Korangoth Nair, who had resisted Tipu, was finally captured with the help of the French and hanged.
Such was the treatment meted out to Hindu nobles, chieftains and their followers by Tipu Sultan of Islamic faith. He was no different from other Muslim tyrants who had played havoc in North India such as Mahmud Ghaznavi, Nadir Shah, Timur, Aurangzeb and Kala Pahar of Bengal.
After solemnising the marriage2 between the daughter of Arackal Bibi and his son, Abdul Khalic, and conferring a portion of the Chirackal principality on her, Tipu Sultan proceeded to the South to subjugate Travancore and convert more Hindus to Islam. The persuasions and threats he delivered to the Zamorin and the Cochin Raja to wage wars against Travancore, either directly or on his behalf, did not succeed because Tipu was regarded by all Hindu Rajas and nobles as a fanatic Muslim. The Cochin Raja, though a tributary to Mysore, avoided meeting Tipu, fearing forcible conversion when invited for a special meeting. At the same time, he continued to send his tribute to Tipu as usual while secretly assisting Travancore to build and strengthen the long defence line (Nedunkotta Fort) through Cochin territory against the Mysore army (p. 516).
INVASION OF TRAVANCORE
Travancore had an alliance (Treaty of Mangalore) with the English Company according to which “an aggression against Travancore would be viewed as equivalent to declaration of war against the English” (p. 566). The Dutch who were afraid of Tipu also agreed to transfer the Kodungallur Fort to Travancore, mainly as a strategy to involve the more powerful British in case of war with Travancore on that account. Since Cochin was considered a tributary to Mysore, Tipu objected to the transfer of Kodungallur Fort which was part of Cochin territory before its occupation by the Dutch. Therefore, Tipu Sultan demanded of Travancore to (i) allow free access to Kodungallur because the Travancore defence line had stretched and passed through Cochin territory, and (ii) surrender all Hindu Rajas and nobles from Malabar who had taken refuge in Travancore. But the demand was rejected. That was his pretext for waging a war against the Travancore State. In the meantime, the Cochin Raja, who was under the guidance and protection of the weak Dutch, openly shook off his tributary links with Tipu and aligned with Travancore after the firm offer of support and protection by the British. It may be noted here that Tipu never fought against the British in Kerala. He fought only against the Hindu Rajas. His hostilities against the British were stepped up only when his ally, the French, waged wars against the British in Europe or his own kingdom was threatened.
TIPU CRIPPLED AND DEFEATED
The Travancore Raja replied to Tipu explaining that he did what he did as per the advice of the British (p. 517). That provoked Tipu. He launched an attack against Travancore but was defeated in January, 1790. According to Mr. Powney who was the Resident Representative of the English Company in Travancore, Tipu’s attack was not only effectively stopped by the Travancore army, Tipu himself fell down from the rampart, was seriously wounded, and was rendered permanently lame during the counter-attack by the Travancore forces.
Tipu and his army were camping on the banks of the Alwaye river before launching the attack on the Travancore defence lines (Nedunkotta Fort). The Travancore army was no match for the huge Mysore army and the monsoon season was four or five months away. Therefore, under the guidance of Raja Kesavadas, the Prime Minister of Travancore, a temporary bund was constructed way up on the stream by a team headed by Kalikutty Nair. When the Mysore army launched its assault and Nedunkotta was penetrated, the temporary bund was breached in the midst of heavy fighting, causing an unexpected flood which drowned many Mysore soldiers and rendered the gunpowder wet and useless. The result was panic and confusion in the Mysore army. The triumphant Nair forces of Travancore inflicted heavy casualties on the- invading army. But the valiant Kalikutty Nair was also drowned in the sudden surge of water and became a martyr.
That was the first time, January 1, 1790, when Tipu Sultan tasted a humiliating defeat. It is recorded in Travancore history and also confirmed by the local folklore that as the wounded Tipu was lying unconscious in the battlefield he was rescued by a Nair soldier who quietly carried the unconscious Sultan to the Mysore military camp during the night and left quickly (p. 518). The brave Nair soldier could have easily killed the unconscious Tipu as many Muslims have done to a Hindu in similar circumstances; but his Hindu values of life prompted him to deposit the helpless victim near the Muslim camp.
According to authentic historical records, the Nair forces of Travancore attacked the Mysore army which was crossing the defence fortification, and inflicted heavy casualties on it. The sudden and unexpected attack made the Mysore Army panicky, and in the confusion Tipu Sultan fell down from the ramparts of the fort into the ditch below along with his palanquin. The fall made him permanently lame. Later on, the Travancore forces recovered from the ditch the sword, the pallanquin, the dagger, the ring and many other personal effects of Tipu and presented them to the Dharma Raja. Some of Tipu’s personal weapons and ornaments were sent to the Nawab of Arcot on his request (Travancore History by P. Sankunny Menon, published by Kerala Bhasha Institute, Trivandrum, pp. 191-92).
TIPU’S SECOND DEFEAT
Tipu retreated and sent for reinforcements from Coimbatore and Srirangapatanam. He also “recalled all his Muslim troops despatched earlier to different parts of South Malabar to hunt down and forcibly circumcise the Hindus and convert them” (p. 518). After regrouping and reinforcing his army, Tipu mounted another attack in March 1790 in order to demolish the Travancore defence line. He reached upto Veropally (Varapuzha) near Alwaye. Meanwhile, following firm assurance of support and protection by the English Company who had by this time extended their military power and political influence to the entire West Coast and South India, some of the important Malabar Rajas such as Pazhassi Raja, Kolathiri Raja and Kadathanad Raja, returned to their respective kingdoms and asserted their independence from Mysore suzerainty. The Cochin Raja shook off his tributary link with Mysore. The Zamorin and the Palghat Raja were promised help by the British in their opposition to the Mysore Sultan, with the promise of restoring their lost territories to them after the defeat of Tipu. All the Hindu Rajas and nobles had thus joined hands with the British against the war efforts of Tipu mainly because of his Islamic atrocities against the Hindus in Kerala. Revolt against the Mysore occupation forces broke out all over Malabar and spread to Coorg with the return of the chieftains to their respective areas. Before the end of 1790, the British captured Palghat Fort and secured the communication channel from Coimbatore to the West Coast for assisting the Travancore forces against the Mysore army. All along, Tipu’s forces assisted by the Mappilas were devastating and plundering the entire country as per the recorded version of Martab Khan, Commander of the Mysore army.
By the time Tipu Sultan launched his second attack and demolished parts of Nedungotta in May 1790, heavy monsoon rains caused the Alwaye river to flood the countryside. Since the Mysore army was not accustomed to fighting during rainy season, it was easy for the Travancore army to defeat Tipu’s army. That was the second defeat Tipu suffered near Alwaye in 1790.
In the meantime, Lord Cornwallis, the Governor General, himself assumed the command of the British forces and pushed forward towards Srirangapatanam, headquarters of Tipu Sultan. Simultaneously, the Maratha and the Nizam’s forces also advanced from different directions. The final assault was mounted and Srirangapatanam surrounded in January-February 1791 by a combined army consisting of the British, Maratha and the Nizam’s forces. Tipu Sultan, who-rushed to Srirangapatanam, abandoning his military operations against Travancore, was forced to sign a treaty in 1792 ceding the entire West Coast and half of his other possessions to the Allies, thus relieving the Hindus of Kerala from further Islamic brutalities.
ROLE OF THE BRITISH
It may be noted here that the Maharaja of Travancore had kept the British Governor of Madras informed about the political developments and the imminent military operations of Tipu Sultan against Travancore. But the then Governor of Madras, Mr. Holland, in spite of the obligations under the Treaty of Mangalore, specifically instructed the British contingents sent to the Travancore borders, not to assist the Travancore forces in case of war. When the Governor General, Lord Cornwallis, heard about Travancore’s victory over Tipu’s forces, he assumed at first that it was due to the active assistance rendered by the English Company. But later on, he came to know about the dubious actions and the corrupt character of Mr. Holland. The Governor of Madras was believed to be in the pay of Tipu Sultan. So he was relieved of his responsibilities and Lord Cornwallis himself assumed command of the Madras Army. The military operations against Srirangapatanam culminated in Tipu’s surrender and the Treaty of Srirangapatanam signed in 1792. But as far as Tipu’s defeat and humiliation on the borders of Travancore were concerned, the British played no role; the entire credit for the victory goes to the strategy of Raja Kesava Das and the valiant soldiers of the Travancore army. The British not only did not keep their solemn promise to the Malabar kings and chieftains, but also insisted that Travancore should pay heavily for the British “help”.
DEATH OF TIPU SULTAN
The death scene of Tipu Sultan in 1799 has been completely distorted in Gidwani’s infamous novel. He projects Tipu as a hero and a martyr. But as per recorded documents and official versions, Tipu, deserted by his generals and surrounded by the Allied forces, mounted a horse and tried to escape in the night like a coward. He was hit in the crossfire between his personal guards and tile enemy forces, and fell down from the rampart in the midst of dead bodies of common soldiers. Later in the evening, a search was made for Tipu’s body with the help of torches. His body was finally recovered by one of his slaves and identified by the Khilledar (Tipu Sultan X-rayed by Dr. I.M. Muthanna, p. 386).
Another version (by C.R.N. Murthi) is that while a bullet hit Tipu who was lying helplessly in a semi-conscious state, one of his lieutenants tried to rob the emerald chain from his turban. Tipu seized a sword and cut off the leg of the robber who, in turn, shot his master dead (Tipu Sultan X-rayed by Dr. I.M. Muthanna, p. 392).
END OF THE USURPER DYNASTY
It may be recalled here that the members of the overthrown Wodeyar Royal Family were kept prisoners in their palaces all through the reign of Hyder Ali Khan and Tipu Sultan. Tipu did not kill them because of his fear of a popular uprising against him. His eleventh and only surviving son, Prince Ghulam Muhammad, was exiled by the British to Calcutta and the Mysore Kingdom which had been usurped by Hyder Ali Khan, was restored to the Wodeyars. However, Prince Ghulam Muhammad was allowed to take away with him a part of the wealth looted from Malabar and carried to Srirangapatanam by Tipu. He was also given a substantial pension by the English. Even today, the family trust created by Ghulam Muhammad out of this looted wealth is the largest Muslim trust in Calcutta.
TIPU’S ATROCITIES
During the notorious Padayottakkalam from 1783 to 1792, Tipu Sultan had committed a variety of atrocities against the Hindus and Christians in Kerala. Some of them as narrated by the Christian victims are vividly described by the famous traveller and historian, Fra Bartolomaco, in his well-known book, Voyage to East India. Following is the verbatim description of the atrocities by a Christian victim as given in the book:
“First a corps of 30,000 barbarians who butchered everybody on the way, followed by the Field-Gun Unit under the French Commander, M. Lally. Tipu Sultan was riding on an elephant behind which another army of 30,000 soldiers followed. Most of the men and women were hanged in Calicut. First mothers were hanged with children tied to the necks of their mothers. That barbarian Tipu Sultan tied the naked Christians and Hindus to the legs of elephants and made the elephants move about till the bodies of the helpless victims were tom to pieces. Temples and Churches were ordered to be burnt, desecrated and destroyed. Christian and Hindu women were forced to marry Muhammadans and similarly their men were forced to marry Muhammadan women. Those Christians who refused to be ‘honoured’ with Islam, were ordered to be killed by hanging then and there. The above version of the atrocities was obtained from the sorrowful narration by the victims who escaped from Tipu’s army and reached Varapuzha (near Alwaye) which is the centre of Carmichael Christian Mission. I myself helped many victims to cross the Varapuzha river by boats” (Cited in Cochin History by K.P. Padmanabha Menon, p. 573).
It may be noted here that Fra Bartolomaeo was in the West Coast around March, 1790. Evidence of Tipu’s atrocities against Christians are also available from the records of churches in Mangalore, Calicut and Varapuzha.
TIPU’S FANATICISM
It would be very relevant to reproduce here some of the letters which, Tipu Sultan had sent to his army commanders in different parts of Kerala and outside. Following are from the research articles published by Sardar K.M. Panicker in the Bhasha Poshini magazine of Chingam 1099 of the Malayalam Era corresponding to August, 1923. They were obtained by him from The India Office Library in London during his intensive research regarding Kerala history. Tipu’s real character is revealed here.
1. Letter dated March 22, 1788, to Abdul Kadir: “Over 12,000 Hindus were ‘honoured’ with Islam. There were many Namboodiris (Brahmins) among them. This achievement should be widely publicised among the Hindus. There the local Hindus should be brought before you and then converted to Islam. No Namboodiri (Brahmin) should be spared. Also they should be confined there till the dress materials sent for them, reach you.”
2. Letter dated December 14, 1788, to his Army Chief in Calicut: “I am sending two of my followers with Mir Hussain Ali. With their assistance, you should capture and kill all Hindus. Those below 20 may be kept in prison and 5,000 from the rest should be killed by hanging from the tree-tops. These are my orders.”
3. Letter dated December 21, 1788, to Sheik Kutub: “242 Nairs are being sent as prisoners. Categorise them according to their social and family status. After honouring them with Islam, sufficient dress materials may be given to the men and their women.”
4. Letter dated January 18, 1790, to Syed Abdul Dulai: “With the grace of Prophet Muhammed and Allah, almost all Hindus in Calicut are converted to Islam. Only a few are still not converted on the borders of Cochin State. I am determined to convert them also very soon. I consider this as Jehad to achieve that object.”
5. Letter dated January 19, 1790, to Badroos Saman Khan: “Don’t you know that I have achieved a great victory recently in Malabar and over 4 lakh Hindus were converted to Islam. I am now determined to march against that ‘Cursed Raman Nair’ without delay. (Reference is to Rama Varma Raja of Travancore State who was popularly known as Dharma Raja for giving shelter in his state to all those who fled Malabar.)
Thinking that he and his subjects would be soon converted to Islam, I am overjoyed and hence abandoned the idea of returning to Srirangapatanam.”
The last two letters quoted above were written after the first major defeat of Tipu Sultan near Alwaye on January 1, 1790. All these letters clearly betray the real character of Tipu Sultan whom a Kerala Muslim historian, Dr. C.K. Kareem, describes as of ‘Sufi’ traditions! If this is Sufism, what about Koranic Islam?
TEMPLES DESTROYED BY TIPU
The Mysore Gazetteer says that the ravaging army of Tipu Sultan had destroyed more than 8000 temples in South India. The temples of Malabar and Cochin principalities had to bear the brunt of plunder and destruction. The History of Cochin by K.P. Padmanabha Menon and History of Kerala by A. Sreedhara Menon narrate some of them:
“In the month of Chingam 952, Malayalam Era (corresponding to August, 1786) Tipu’s Army destroyed idols of the famous Perumanam Temple and desecrated all the temples between Trichur and Karuvannur river.
“Irinjalakuda and Thiruvanchikulam temples were also defiled and damaged by Tipu’s Army.”
Some of the other famous temples looted and desecrated were as follows: Triprangot, Thrichembaram, Thirunavaya, Thiruvannoor, Calicut Thali, Hemambika Temple, the Jain Temple in Palghat, Mammiyur, Parambatali, Venkitangu, Pemmayanadu, Tiruvanjikulam, Terumanam, Vadakhumnnathan Temple of Trichur, Belur Siva Temple, Shri Veliyanattukava, Varakkal, Puthu, Govindapuram, Keraladhiswara, Trikkandiyur, Sukapuram, Maranehei Temple of Aaalvancheiri Tambrakkal, Vengara Temple of Aranadu, Tikulam, Ramanathakra, Azhinjalam Indiannur, Mannur Narayan Kanniar and Vadukunda Siva Temple of Madai.
The Trikkavu Temple of Ponnani was converted into Military Garrison. The Christian Pilgrimage centre of Palayur Church and Varapuzha Church and Mission buildings were among the several churches destroyed by the ravaging army of Tipu.
In the case of Triprayar Temple, the main deity was shifted temporarily to Gnanappilly Mana situated in a remote village, and in the case of Guruvayoor Temple, the idol was shifted to Ambalapuzha Sri Krishna Temple in Travancore State before the barbarian army of Tipu Sultan reached there. However, both of them were brought back and ceremoniously installed after the withdrawal of Tipu from Malabar towards the end of 1790. The Guruvayoor Temple was destroyed only partly because of the pleadings by Hydrose Kutty who was a favourite of Hyder Ali Khan besides being a devotee of Lord Krishna before his conversion. The damage that can be seen even today on the installed presiding deity of Triprayar Temple is believed to have been caused by Tipu Sultan’s army.
According to certain personal diary notes of Tipu Sultan, the Chirackal Raja offered to pay over Rs. 4 lakh in gold and silver to save the destruction of the local Hindu temples by Tipu’s army. But, true to his character, Tipu replied that “even if the entire world is offered to me, I will not desist from destroying Hindu temples” (Freedom Struggle by Sardar Panicker). It was the reply of a typical Islamic ruler!
TIPU’S LAND-GRANTS AND PUJAS
With this background in mind, we may now have a look at the circumstances that prompted the Islamic bigot, Tipu Sultan, to offer land-grants and financial assistance to some Hindu temples, particularly the Sringeri Mutt.
When the astrologers predicted an approaching malefic period from 1790 onwards and the combined forces of the British, the Nizam and the Marathas started surrounding Srirangapatanam, Tipu Sultan panicked and therefore did some good deeds – offering land-grants and even pujas and feeding Brahmin – mainly to ward off the evil effects and to get assistance from his Hindu subjects in his war efforts. He was reported to have even fallen prostrate before His Holiness Sringeri Shankaracharya and sought the latter’s pardon and blessings (Sakthan Thampuran by P. Raman Menon, and History of Mysore by Lewis Rice).
RESULT OF TIPU’S INVASION-HINDU EXODUS
The widespread atrocities committed by the Islamic tyrant and his equally cruel army of Muslim converts in Kerala, can be understood only from the authentic records available from various sources. According to them, about half the Hindu population of Kerala fled the country to the forests or Tellicherry and Travancore State. They included most of the Hindu Rajas and chieftains who could not stand upto the mighty army of barbarians and the powerful field-guns of the French. Important royal families which migrated to Travancore State were those of Chirackal, Parappanad, Ballussery, Kurumbranad, Kadathanad, Palghat and Calicut. The chieftain families which did the same were those of Punnathur, Kavalappara, Azhvancherry Thamprakkal, etc. Even the Cochin royal family moved to Vaikkom Palace near the famous Shiva Temple when Tipu’s army reached Alwaye.
Many members of the royal families of Malabar who migrated to Travancore State preferred to stay back even after the withdrawal of Tipu’s army and restoration of peace, because of their nightmarish experience and the peculiar psyche of the forcibly converted Muslim population in Malabar. The prominent royal families were (1) Neerazhi Kovilakam, (2) Gramathil Kottaram, (3) Paliyakkara, (4) Nedumparampu, (5) Chempra Madham, (6) Ananthapuram Kottaram, (7) Ezhimatoor Palace, (8) Aranmula Kottaram, (9) Varanathu Kovilakam, (10) Mavelikkara, (11) Ennakkadu, (12) Murikkoyikkal Palace, (13) Mariappilly, (14) Koratti Swaroopam, (15) Kaippuzha Kovilakam, (16) Lakshmipuram Palace, and (17) Kottapuram. The secularist admirers of Tipu Sultan have not even heard about the records available from these Malabar families.
The nightmarish results of Tipu’s invasion of Kerala have been aptly described by the former editor of Gazetteer of Kerala and the renowned historian A. Sreedhara Menon. They state as follows:
ISLAMIC WARS
“Hindus3, especially Nairs and chieftains who resisted Islamic cruelties, were the main targets of Tipu’s anger. Hundreds of Nair women and children were abducted to Sreerangapatanam or sold as slaves to the Dutch. Nairs were hunted down and killed and also deprived of all traditional and social privileges. Thousands of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Nairs and other respected classes of Hindus were forcibly converted to Islam or driven out of their traditional ancestral homes. Thousands sought refuge in Travancore State while hundreds fled to forests and hills to escape Tipu’s atrocities which had completely shaken their sense of security.”
“The new phase of Mysore administration in Kerala resulted in unending wars. Extreme cruelties of the invading army had badly affected every section of the society, leading to the mass exodus of people from Malabar.”
“Many Hindu temples, royal houses and chieftain families were destroyed and plundered. The exodus of Brahmins and Kshatriyas who were the patrons and custodians of traditional arts and culture, resulted in stagnation in the cultural field also.”
ECONOMIC COLLAPSE
“Many prosperous towns were destroyed while the local and foreign trade collapsed. Peasants who had to bear the brunt of army cruelties and coercive taxation policies, sought refuge in forests and mountains. In many areas, cultivation of pepper stopped resulting in the collapse of pepper trade. Consequent to the stoppage of foreign trade coupled with the precipitate fall in cultivation and local trade, economy of the country was also shattered; and major sections of the people were reduced to poverty. Thus every section of society was badly affected by the military regime of the mysore rulers.”
HINDU-MUSLIM CONFLICTS
“Huge amount of wealth in the form of gold and silver accumulated through centuries of foreign trade, vanished from the country as a result of loot and plunder during the chaotic period of the military regime of Hyder Ali Khan and his son, Tipu Sultan. Another serious development which had long term bad effects was that Malabar Muslims joined hands with the ranks of cruel invading Mysore army and proved their loyalty to Islamic faith by committing various atrocities against Malabar Hindus. This earned them enmity of Hindus. To gain political advantage, they resorted to forcible conversion of Hindus to Islam and also widespread destruction and plunder of Hindu temples. The Mysore administration under the Muslim rulers had not only encouraged such cruelties against the Hindu population but also gave the local Muslim converts special privileges and tax exemptions, leading to serious cleavage and enmity for the first time, between the two communities, Hindus and Muslims, in Kerala.”
MAPPILA OUTRAGES OF 1921
According to the widely respected Congressman and freedom-fighter, K. Madhavan Nair, “the notorious Mappila Lahala (Khilafat Riots) of 1921 in Malabar could be easily traced to the after-effects of widespread forcible conversions and cruelties committed by Tipu Sultan during the Padayottakkalam”. Thus Tipu Sultan was considered and depicted by all the well-known historians from Kerala and elsewhere as an evil genius and Islamic tyrant, much worse than even the notorious Aurangzeb who beheaded Guru Teg Bahadur, destroyed thousands of Hindu temples including Vishwanath Temple at Kashi and Sri Krishna Temple at Mathura, and forcibly converted lakhs of Hindus in North India.
PROOFS OF ISLAMIC ATROCITIES
Tipu Sultan was like the notorious Kala Pahar – a renegade Brahmin convert from Bengal – who used to celebrate every time he killed or forcibly converted 10,000 Hindus. The darkest period in the history of Kerala was the period of Hyder Ali Khan and Tipu Sultan from 1766 to 1792 – socially, culturally and politically. Ruins of hundreds of Hindu temples destroyed by Tipu Sultan and his father Hyder Ali Khan are the standing witnesses to their brutalities in Kerala. One also finds a heavy concentration of Mappilas along the invasion routes of Tipu’s army, including the places of its temporary occupation, as in Mangalore, Cannanoor, Ponnani, Kondotty, Malappuram, Calicut, Kodungallur, Chawakat, Alwaye, Coimbatore, and Dindigal. This is another proof of forcible circumcision and conversion of helpless Nairs, defenceless Thiyyas and poor Cherumans on a mass scale. Even today, the origin of many Kshatriya, Nair and Brahmin families settled in Travancore and Cochin can be traced back to their ancestral families in Malabar – yet another proof of the severity of Tipu’s atrocities against Hindus during his Islamic wars in Kerala.
MOTIVATED RESEARCH
If Tipu Sultan had done any good deeds, there should have been some references to them in the authentic historical documents of that period. The admirers of Tipu Sultan have never cited any authentic references. They quote some observations and comments made by historians or political thinkers of North India, especially of Jawaharlal Nehru University, or Aligarh Muslim University, or some other Marxist school. They have never bothered to study the voluminous documents available in Kerala, Coorg and Karnataka. Their ignorance of South Indian history and traditions is no justification for glorifying a cruel and fanatic Islamic tyrant that was Tipu Sultan. He was a despicable character, an Islamic fiend, and a national villain in the eyes of the proud Malayalees and the valiant Coorgis.
TIPU – A CURSED NAME
If Tipu Sultan was a much-loved and respected Muslim ruler, as claimed by his present-day admirers, why is it that even Muslim do not name their children as Tipu, either in Mysore or in Malabar? Obviously, the name itself is a cursed name. Anyway, that is the belief in the entire West Coast and Mysore.
NATIONAL SCANDAL
If such a notorious character is presented on the official network of Doordarshan as preaching patriotism, nationalism, high principles of Hindu religion, and human welfare, that is not only a national scandal but also a provocation for the Hindu community throughout the country. It is better to bury deep and forget the repulsive memories of Tipu Sultan and save the South from communal conflicts. The Hindus of Kerala who were the victims of the Islamic atrocities of Tipu Sultan, do not want to be reminded of him, just as the Jews do not want to be reminded of Hitler, or the Romanians of Ceasesescu, or the Russians of Stalin.
DON’T FABRICATE HISTORY
Historical truth should not be allowed to be suppressed, or distorted, or falsified in order to project a national villain as a national hero. Today it is Tipu Sultan, tomorrow it will be Aurangzeb or Nadir Shah. If a renegade Indian glorifies the notorious Tipu Sultan today through a “historical novel”, tomorrow the same or some other motivated authors will produce more and better “historical novels” extolling Mahmud Ghaznavi, Malik Kafur, Aurangzeb, and Nadir Shah for a tele-serial. As Dr. I.M. Muthanna says in his famous book, Tipu Sultan X-rayed, “such dubious and mischievous historians and novelists should be prosecuted through judicial commissions so that at least in future such blatant lies and invented stories will not be sold or published as history or historical novels”. If in spite of the voluminous evidences to the contrary, the Doordarshan authorities agree to telecast anti-national and anti-Hindu serials on its official network, consequences will be terrible in the long run.
BURY THE SWORD
Every Hindu in Kerala knows that Tipu’s slogan was “Sword” (death) or “Cap” (forcible conversion). The “Sword” symbolises death to Hindus. Thus the very title of the novel and the serial, “The Sword of Tipu Sultan”, is offensive and provocative. No self-respecting Hindu will tolerate such an insult to his religion, culture and national pride.
There was only one Aurangzeb and one Nadir Shah. And also one Tipu Sultan! Project them to the local people as known from authentic historical records. Otherwise the very purpose for which the official media of Radio and Doordarshan have been set up – to disseminate and present correct information and not lies and untruths – will be defeated. Let us hope that the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting will insist that the Doordarshan abides by the national motto – SATYAMEVA JAYATE.
The secularist Government and parties refuse to see reason and insist on projecting Tipu Sultan as a national hero. This shows their respect for truth, history and sentiments of the Hindu community. The rise of Hindu anger in the South, as witnessed in the recent past, is a direct result.
REFERENCES
1. Malabar Manual by William Logan (Printed and published by Charitram Publications under the editorship of Dr. C.K, Kareem, Trivandrum).
2. Voyage to East Indies by Fra Bartolomaeo (Portuguese Traveller and Historian).
3. Historical Sketches by Col. Wilks, Vol. II.
4. A Journey from Madras through the counties of Mysore, Canara and Malabar by Dr. Francis Buchanan Hamilton, Vol. II.
5. Mysore History by Lewis Rice.
6. Selected Letters of Tipu Sultan to various Functionaries by William Kirkpatrick, published in London, 1811.
7. History of Kerala by A. Sreedhara Menon.
8. History of Cochin State by K.P. Padmanabha Menon, Mathrubhoomi Publication, 1989.
9. Cochin State Manual by C. Achuta Menon.
10. State Manual of Travancore by T.K. Velu Pillai.
11. Freedom Struggle in Kerala by Sardar K.M. Panicker.
12. Sakthan Thampuran by P. Raman Menon, Mathrubhoomi Publication, 1989.
13. Life of Raja Kesavadas by V.R. Parameswaran Pillai, N.B.S. Publications, Kottayam, 1973.
14. Chronicles and Reports originating from Trippunithura, Calicut, Palghat and other seats of Kerala Royal families and from Temples of Trichur and Carmichael Christian Mission, Varappuzha.
15. Bhasha Poshini of Chingam 10, 1099 (August, 1923), Article on Tipu Sultan by Sardar K.M. Panicker.
16. Malabar Kalapam of 1921 by K. Madhavan Nair.
17. Travancore History by P. Sankrunni Menon.
18. Tipu Sultan X-rayed by Dr. I.M. Muthanna, Usha Press, Mysore 1980.
19. Archeology of Coorg with special reference to Megaliths by Dr. Subbiah of Karnataka, Doctoral Thesis, Pune University, 1978.
20. Itihas Ani Kalpit (History and Myth) by Setu Madhavrao Pagdi.
21. Articles, literary works etc. of Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai, Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer, Vadakkumkoor Raja Raja Varma, and Shri Govinda Pillai.
22. Mappila Outrage of 1921 by K. Madhavan Nair.
23. Zamorins in Kerala by K.V. Krishna Iyer.
24. Tipu Sultan by B.N. Jog.
Footnotes:
1 Dr. Kareem is a scholar and has secured his Ph.D from Aligarh Muslim University with a research thesis on Administration of Kerala under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. He has also written a number of articles exonerating Mahmud Ghaznavi, Nadir Shah and Aurangzeb of their well-recorded atrocities, forcible conversions and temple-destructions in India. He believes that pious and magnanimous Muslim rulers, could never do such things!
2 This marriage alliance was formed by Tipu in order to gain the confidence and support to the Mappilas.
3 Irrespective of caste groups, all Hindus are generally referred to as only Nairs in all the records of Mysore and European administrations.
JAI LEFTISTS!! JAI SITARAM YETUCHURI
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No matter what Name you give to that Airport, there will always be a someone who is not satisfied with the name, either because of gender/caste/political/religious affiliation. I would stick with something totally neutral, like the Name of the place where the Airport is..and presently it is Devenahalli- I feel that is very clear communication keeping in mind the future.. if we had a few more airports then this doesnt need qualification, it can still be Devenahalli International Airport and everyone knows which one we are talking about.
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As for Honouring people we think are Important or we Admire for any reason… the best way to show it would be by cultivating those thoughts, behaviour and discipline that those you admire Had instead of superficially naming places for them. of course its only my opinion.
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Tippu yaake beda prashanth avare?? Devanahalli is Tippu Sultan’s birth place where the Airport stands today. So, it would only be rightful if the airport is named after the real tiger of Karnataka….Tippu Sultan…………
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In my opinion, Tipu Sultan is the best candidate – a good military leader, an extraordinarily brave man, an efficient administrator and a shrewd politician.
Besides, he was born in Devanahalli.
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Mysore Ramesh has presented a load of shit. I voice my protest to the esteemed moderator who has allowed such a farce post to be printed.
The references which have been quoted, do not qualify as historical proof. I request Mysore Ramesh to check the foll link for as many references as he wants:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipu_Sultan
Tipu Sultan was the only King who fought the British inspite of all odds, he was the only Indian King who died on the battlefield for protecting his motherland. If he was such a jehadi, then his capital Shrirangapatnam, neighbouring Mysore and Bangalore would have been full of muslims.
Kindly do not try to deface history and for Gods sake do not insult an Indian King who was worth more than all the puppet kings of his time.
My earnest request to all other bloggers is not to be mute spectators to such wrong prints and voice their opinions.
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There is no competetion at all here. Tipu Sultan wins hands down.
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Mysore Ramesh is actually very detailed and has cited references. I’ll go with his analysis any day.
There have been many Muslims who fought the British but that does not qualify them as great Indians. Sorry.
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Thank you, Mysore Ramesh! King Khan and others–truth is bitter. Tippu no doubt fought the British well with honor; may be we can rename Mysore Airport as Tippu Airport? Or for starters we can name Srirangapatna Rly Station as Tippu Station. Fair?
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Mysore Ramesh’s 8464 word essay on Tipu makes as much sense as Robert Kaplan’s 5625 thesis on Modi- but the response by right leaning nutters to the two is diametrically opposite- I wonder why?
BTW Mysore Ramesh insists on calling Vijayanagara and Srirangapatna as Vijayanagaram and Srirangapatttanam. Surprisingly instead of calling him a ‘ Konga’ , DB actually thanks him- a case of sauces and ducks and drakes??
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Your comments show you(Pala & Doddi) in poor light. If you do not want to recognize a great Indian King, just because he was a muslim,then I really feel sad for people like you.
Kingkhan has given wikipedia reference which gives multiple references in the same site, whereas mysRamesh has given a list of references which do not have any credibility among the historians(majority of them have been written after 1970). I was surprised he did not mention any of his own writeups as proof.
The quality of info in Wikipedia is undisputable.
Doddibuddi has been magnanimous in offering Srirangapatnam Railway station for re-naming. Thank you friend, arent you being too generous. Should’nt we name the railway station after Puranaiah.
I would not like this debate to be looked at in communal lines. But I personally feel since Devanahalli is the birth place of Sultan, the naming of the Airport would be more appropriate if it is named after him.
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ayya sayeed rasheed,
don’t make me laugh with statements like
“The quality of info in Wikipedia is undisputable.”
wiki is a good source to get an overview.. not to rely on facts. You do know that anyone can edit (ok…anyone who has an account in wiki) wiki right ?
btw,
Tipu Sultan was a religious bigot as shown by many historians. only the marxist “historians” claim he was a secular king and fought for India!
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Gaby – Specific issues with Ramesh’s post?
Rasheed – I checked Ramesh’s references again. I cannot agree with you. Can ypu substantiate with years alongside his list?
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Sandesh ,
True that wikipedia is only a good place to start reading but not a reliable source.
But please enlighten me of writings of unbiased and objective historians with no leftist or rightist inclinations and writing about Tipu’s regime.
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How can anybody writing against Tipu not be a rightist, eh..Gaby?
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PH my friend I asked for writings ABOUT Tipu – not for or against him- we know how loyal the leftist or rightist nutters can be. Like orwell said – a fanatic is one who after having lost sight of the objective just doubles the effort !
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Syed Rasheed,
There have been many great kings from Karnataka. Just because they have not been Muslims perhaps you are not bothered about them! Am I right? Rightly or wrongly many Muslims are cast in a poor light. So let’s not go there. You are welcome to throw Narendra Modi and others. But the entire world is seized with the Islam conundrum–is Islam the root cause or Muslims the cause. Or even is the Hindu caste system the root cause of Isreal-Palestine dispute; unrest in Jammu & Kashmir, the rise of LET, the Talibanisation of Pakistan, the rise of JD (S) andDirty and his sons, Bosnian war, American War on terror, and many more issues. Any way we can for the moment avoid going into all these issues.
Also, just a mere birth is not good enough IMHO to name an airport in the individual’s honor. Kempegowda has solid claims for giving the blueprint for the city of Bangalore.
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Gaby,
Historical sources use the
Iyengar’ version of Seringapatam and so on:) If you notice I correctly called it Srirangpatna!
KK
I think your post confirms the statistic minorities are least educated:)
Jagada kaiku?
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Gaby – Are writings ABOUT Tipu neutered? No.
They will narrate historical events. If Tipu has killed and converted and destroyed, they will say so, no? Will THAT narration not be called “rightist”?
Let’s see, if you were to order a meal called “Writings ABOUT Tipu”, what would you expect for its ingredients and final flavor?
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Sophistry DB sophistry!
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Lot of posts on the Great Sultan.
But the fact remains, what you feel now doesnt matter. The Tiger remains the most respected King globally even today. Some of my friends who visited Gulf and the West, were acknowledged as people from the Sultan’s homeland. That does speak about his popularity among the West. Gulf would definitely recall him as he was a Muslim,right.
Dr.Sheikh Ali, Mysore is a master on this subject. Any clarifications to this effect can be given viz-a-viz historical proof is required.
And as far as naming the Airport is concerned. It doesnt matter what you name it. Tipu Sultan is not dependent for glorifying his name by naming airports in his name. Great people like him will be remembered always.
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Kingkhan – You’re happy, I’m happy :)
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KK
Yes you are right. It doesn’t matter. Tippu will be King Khan in the minds of his admirers!
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